For the Love of a Dog


Book Description

Yes, humans and canines are different species, but current research provides fascinating, irrefutable evidence that what we share with our dogs is greater than how we vary. As behaviorist and zoologist Dr. Patricia McConnell tells us in this remarkable new book about emotions in dogs and in people, more and more scientists accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings including fear, anger, surprise, sadness, and love. In For the Love of a Dog, McConnell suggests that one of the reasons we love dogs so much is that they express emotions in ways similar to humans. After all, who can communicate joy better than a puppy? But not all emotional expressions are obvious, and McConnell teaches both beginning dog owners and experienced dog lovers how to read the more subtle expressions hidden behind fuzzy faces and floppy ears. For those of us who deeply cherish our dogs but are sometimes baffled by their behavior, For the Love of a Dog will come as a revelation–a treasure trove of useful facts, informed speculation, and intriguing accounts of man’s best friend at his worst and at his very best. Readers will discover how fear, anger, and happiness underlie the lives of both people and dogs and, most important, how understanding emotion in both species can improve the relationship between them. Thus McConnell introduces us to the possibility of a richer, more rewarding relationship with our dogs. While we may never be absolutely certain what our dogs are feeling, with the help of this riveting book we can understand more than we ever thought possible. Those who consider their dogs part of the family will find For the Love of a Dog engaging, enlightening, and utterly engrossing.




The Other End of the Leash


Book Description

Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.




Understanding Your Dog For Dummies


Book Description

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of getting a dog or nervous about caring for the one you’ve already brought home, now you can relax. Understanding Your Dog for Dummies helps you recognize not only why your dog behaves the way she does, but in a way that enables you to parlay that into a well-behaved companion who listens (and sits, and speaks, and comes, etc.). Whether your pooch is a mixed breed or purebred, she has a distinct identity that makes her unique. The first step in understanding your dog is to respect the honorable task she was originally bred for and to identify how these inbred impulses influence her personality and behavior. In essence, you need to speak her language if you expect her to learn to understand yours. Understanding Your Dog for Dummies gives you everything you need to learn to understand your pooch’s unique dialect of “Doglish”—and shows you how to take on the role as pack leader to give your dog the cues, guidance, and consistency she needs to shape and develop good behaviors. Inside you’ll discover how to: Read your dog’s body language Communicate with your dog Interpret your dog’s breed-specific traits Correct dog-behavior-gone-bad Counter anxiety-based behavior Understand and resolve aggressive behavior And so much more! Think of this book as Doglish 101—a prerequisite for every human member of your dog’s family. Now, let the training begin!




Puppy Primer


Book Description

Raise that new puppy successfully with this understandable and user-friendly primer! Includes socialization, how to raise a confident puppy, children and puppies, basic obedience/manners, how to praise or correct, crate training, play biting, housetraining, through adolescence and problem- solving (submissive urination, home alone, barking, car sickness, more)




How Do You Hug a Porcupine?


Book Description

It’s easy to picture hugging a bunny, or even a billy goat…but how would you even begin to try to hug a porcupine? After seeing all his friends hug their favorite animals, one brave boy must grapple with this very question. Eventually he works up the courage to hug a porcupine—but the porcupine isn’t so sure he wants to be hugged! The surprise ending to this humorous tale, complete with charming illustrations, will have kids begging to hear this fun read-aloud again and again!




Hug Time


Book Description

The New York Times bestselling book that celebrates love and hugs--from beloved MUTTS cartoonist and Caldecott honor-winning artist Patrick McDonnell! There was once a kitten so filled with love he wanted to give the whole world a hug! Jules the kitten (also known in the MUTTS cartoons as "Shtinky Puddin'") knows that hugs can make the world a better place. So he makes a "Hug To-Do List"--with the endangered species of the world at the top--and travels the globe to show all of the animals that someone cares. From Africa to the North Pole to his own back yard, Jules proves a hug is the simplest--but kindest--gift we can give. With its gently environmental theme, this joyous rhyming story about sharing love is an ideal gift year-round.




How Stella Learned to Talk


Book Description

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An incredible, revolutionary true story and surprisingly simple guide to teaching your dog to talk from speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger, who has taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using simple paw-sized buttons associated with different words. When speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger first came home with her puppy, Stella, it didn’t take long for her to start drawing connections between her job and her new pet. During the day, she worked with toddlers with significant delays in language development and used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to help them communicate. At night, she wondered: If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn’t they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans? Christina decided to put her theory to the test with Stella and started using a paw-sized button programmed with her voice to say the word “outside” when clicked, whenever she took Stella out of the house. A few years later, Stella now has a bank of more than thirty word buttons, and uses them daily either individually or together to create near-complete sentences. How Stella Learned to Talk is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella “spoke” her first word, and the other breakthroughs they’ve had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their pets. Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a speech-language pathologist could know, How Stella Learned to Talk will be the indispensable dog book for the new decade.




Porcupine Hugs


Book Description

Perry the Porcupine loves to give hugs. He likes to get them too. With his big quills sticking out, A lot of animals don't know what to do! Everyone deserves a hug... even porcupines with long prickly quills!!! This persistent porcupine loves to give hugs. But he's got one problem. His quills. What is a porcupine to do? Inspiring in the way he and his friends solve this problem, Perry will warm your heart as much as teach about positivity and positive thoughts for everyone. Filled with high frequency sight words, this rhyming picture book will uplift your child's day as well as help them learn the building blocks for reading. Promotes happiness and positivity within themselves Inspires empathy and inclusion Written in verse with a rhythmic flow to capture young listeners' attention and give early readers confidence Lovely, colourful images that complement the texts to aid reluctant readers Helps early readers recognise and remember high frequency sight words which are highlighted in the book.




Dog Language


Book Description

In 300 concise entries with clear illustration dog lovers and professionals will develop their canine behavior vocabulary and comprehension of why dogs do what they do. Ethologist Roger Abrantes has built his career on helping professionals and lay persons understand dogs.




Good Dog (Scholastic Gold)


Book Description

The acclaimed author of The Honest Truth delivers his most emotionally powerful novel yet. Brodie was a good dog. And good dogs go to heaven.Except Brodie can't move on. Not just yet. As wonderful as his glimpse of the afterlife is, he can't forget the boy he left behind. The boy he loved, and who loved him in return.The boy who's still in danger.So Brodie breaks the rules of heaven. He returns to Earth as a spirit. With the help of two other lost souls -- lovable pitbull Tuck and surly housecat Patsy -- he is determined to find his boy and to save him. Even if it costs him paradise. Even if he loses his eternal soul.Because it's what a good dog would do.